A Weighty Tome: 2019 Challenge: Les Miserables

[Karen ⊰✿, Fiction Aficionado]

Sophie wrote: "After a couple of months off I've finally picked this back up! I'm in the middle of the Cosette section and had forgotten how readable it was (once you get through the description of the Battle of ..."

teehee yes those Waterloo descriptions are rather long ;)

[Moderators of NBRC, Challenger-in-Chief]

Break month is over!
For June & July 2019 we are reading Volume III - Marius

[Keely]

My plan to read Volume 2 - Cosette did not work last month. May seemed to just disappear and all of a sudden it is June. I did read some chapters today, but I'm really struggling with the whole Battle of Waterloo bit. I'm hoping to power through it over the next couple of days so I can get back into the story. My new plan is to finish Volume 2 in June and then in July I'll try and get Volume 3 done.

[Karen ⊰✿, Fiction Aficionado]

Yes the battle part is hard, Keely, but after that the story gets back on track

[Sophie, The other one]

It gets better once you get through Waterloo!

I'm just about back on track. Have finished Cosette this morning. All the description about the convent and the nuns was fascinating. Such a different way of life.

[Judy]

I went on a bit of a break because I wrote my bachelor's thesis but now that I've handed it in, I finally have the time to get back into this monster!

[Keely]

I finally got passed the battle. To be honest, I skimmed through it a bit, but I think I got the important parts. I started book 2 but unfortunately I have to go to work very soon so I can’t finish it just yet, but as it’s only a short book I do plan to finish it tonight and maybe even read a chapter or two in book 3.

[Karen ⊰✿, Fiction Aficionado]

Nice one Judy!
Nothing like getting through a big study hurdle

[Eldarwen]

Keely wrote: "It's probably the book version. At least that is better than telling me how long is left in the whole book, which it did for a while. It kept telling me I had about 53 hours left..."


53 hours... *shudders*

But then again, at the end, it'll be fantastic to realise that you've managed to make your way through such a HUGE book!

[Eldarwen]

I finally picked this back up today to move forwards a little. Still way, way behind, but at least I managed to almost finish Fantine.

Only 3 months late? Or is it 4 already haha ;-)

Will finish Fantine tomorrow hopefully, and then I'll see how far I can get in Cosette on Monday - bank holiday so hopefully that means some productive reading time. If I'm not distracted by other shiny books or things to do..

[Keely]

Eldarwen wrote: "53 hours... *shudders*
But then again, at the end, it'll be fantastic to realise that you've managed to make your way through such a HUGE book!"

Oh yes. I think this might be the longest book I would have ever read, so it would definately be an achievement.
And now I've got to Book 3 in Cosette it now says I only have just under 43 hours left...

[Eldarwen]

Finished Fantine! Finally.

I enjoyed that ending. Valjean's personality is quite something. Despite everything that has happened to him and despite everything he has built for himself, he is still willing to give it all up. Fantine truly is a Misérable. It's a shame that lives like her are still part of society - not much has changed in that respect.

==========

On to Cosette!

And oh my gosh, that Waterloo description really is terrible long-winded and not at all pertaining to the story as such. If I wanted a history lesson, I'd grab a proper history book :-/

[Keely]

Haha, yeah, that was my thoughts exactly. I like history, I have a degree in it, but if I’m reading a book that I didn’t expect there to be long descriptions of an historical event, then I’ll most likely skim over it. Unless it’s something I’m really interested in.

[Eldarwen]

I'm not sure if anyone else is reading the book in the original French, but I found a much better audio than the Libri Vox one. The guy reading those is soooo bland. I'm glad I discovered this nice lady before the Waterloo battle, or I probably would have thrown the book out the window ;-))

Here is the link: http://www.litteratureaudio.com/livre...

She reads with a little more enthusiasm, which makes the windy passages go down somewhat better.

[Keely]

I just finished book 3 in Cosette. I admit that I didn't read much of this for a while as I was focusing on finishing some books I was nearing the end of, but I picked it up last night thinking I would read a chapter or two and I ended up reading half of the 'book' until I was almost falling asleep and then I finished the rest today. According to my app, book 4 will take about 40 mins to read so hopefully I will finish that tonight or if not tomorrow.

I need to catch up as much as I can over this next week or two as I know I won't read much in July because my boyfriend is visiting and he prefers to watch things instead of reading and I find it very difficult to read with background noise.

[Sophie, The other one]

Well done for reading Cosette. I hope book 4 (Marius) has gone well.

I'm finding this a v unevenly paced read. There are a few chapters where I don't want to put it down and really get into the flow of it, then all of a sudden everything slows down and I struggle. The start of book 5 is a slow patch for me at the moment. On the plus side I think I'm actually ahead of schedule for the 1st time!

[Marie (UK)]

Sophie wrote: "Well done for reading Cosette. I hope book 4 (Marius) has gone well.

I'm finding this a v unevenly paced read. There are a few chapters where I don't want to put it down and really get into the fl..."

I think that is typical of the literature of the time - Dumas for example fairly rockets along at times and others are very slow

[Marie (UK)]

Volume III
The early part of this section is almost Hugo’s opinion on society of the time. I assume the text is a direct result of his thoughts. There are some strong statements
(view spoiler)[“ Life is the disgusting invention of God knows Who. It doesn’t last and it isn’t worth anything” p 572
“ Man is a failure” p 574
“Chance is the conductor of those youthful symphonies” (conversation) p 574
“Peace, said Joly, Is happiness in the process of digestion” p575

Marius finds out that his grandfather has kept him from his father too late in life to meet him but he is entrusted with his fathers things that ask him to look out for the man who saved his life at Waterloo – Thernardier

He is a passionate Bonapartiste but does not understand the ideals of the ABC who seem to have a foot in both sides. They don't want to be ruled either by Royals of Bonaparte but simply to be free.

He leaves his Grandfather’s home and ends up living on the edges of poverty with just enough to get by and next door to Jondrette. (hide spoiler)]

Hugo, like Dumas is a master of the Alias and as the narrative progresse we meet our MCs under different names. In the final part of the book the unmasking of these aliases cause Marius some soul searching.

I don’t know it is the way Hugo write or my own reading of the book but where Hugo is including characters into his narrative it seems to have a pace and form that his Historical exposition does not. With the latter he doesn’t seem able to use one word where 100 will do .

[Keely]

So... I finally finished Volume II Cosette. I had hoped to finish it sooner, but oh well, nothing can be done about it now.
I am determined to finish (or at least be close to finishing) Volume III by the end of the month. I’ve been better at opening the book and reading some, even if it’s only a little bit, so hopefully I can continue doing that and get back on track for having this read by the end of the year.

I hope everyone else’s reading is going well.

[Moderators of NBRC, Challenger-in-Chief]

Reminder for August & September
We are reading:
Volume IV - set in Paris, in rue Plumet and rue Saint-Denis

[Karen ⊰✿, Fiction Aficionado]

Alrighty. I'm not as far behind as I feared. I am about half way through Volume III

I can do this! :o

[Eldarwen]

*cough cough*

I've buried my copy under a pile of books, so let's see what is what...

*cries a little bit*

I'm not even a quarter through volume II (Cosette). But ok, let's do this! I won't have a lot of time today to catch up but tomorrow, I will hunker down with this and try to finish volume II. Then in the next three weeks, I'd like to read volume III (Marius). And then I can read volume IV in September and be up to date.

Sounds like a plan, no? ;-)
Let's see if it works.... hehe.

[Judy]

Well, at least y'all have made it past volume 1! I'm still 50 pages from the end... but I hope to reach v2 today! 💪

And then we'll see how long it'll take me to catch up... 😂

[Eldarwen]

You can do iiiiit!

Volume II starts with an extremely lengthy description of the battle of Waterloo though, so be prepared to battle (ha.ha. ..) your way through those ~60 pages. Audio will help ;-)

[Eldarwen]

And the end of volume I is actually pretty good, so those 50 pages will be a quick read!

[Judy]

I hope so!

I've got the audiobook ready to go ;-)

[Sammy]

Good luck ladies! (I wonder if now would be a good time to warn you about the large chunk of text about the Paris sewer system later on... lol)

[Judy]

I have actually managed to finish Volume 1! Six months after I was hoping...

[Eldarwen]

Better late than never! ;-)

Eurgh.... Sammy, that was not the thing we needed to hear haha. Guess that's a chunk I'll be skimming over, like the Waterloo battle.

[Sammy]

I have to admit I was somewhat surprised by how long he waffled on about that one. I mean... Sewers? Really? lol.

[Keely]

The first 2 books of Volume III were pretty short. If that keeps up then it shouldn't take long to finish the volume. Then I will either take a break and try and finish some of the other books I have started or just carry on and try and get this book finished before it's forgotten again.

[Karen ⊰✿, Fiction Aficionado]

Sammy wrote: "Good luck ladies! (I wonder if now would be a good time to warn you about the large chunk of text about the Paris sewer system later on... lol)"

lol!

[Karen ⊰✿, Fiction Aficionado]

Keely wrote: "The first 2 books of Volume III were pretty short. If that keeps up then it shouldn't take long to finish the volume. Then I will either take a break and try and finish some of the other books I ha..."

I'm just finishing the last bit of a NetGalley book and then I will get back to Les Mis on the commute this week. I think I can get to Volume IV by the end of the week. :o

[Marie (UK)]

Volume IV


New Characters
Former servants of Mon Gillenormand

• Kruderniers alias Bizarro
• Gloeieux
• Barrecarosse
• La Magnon
• Mamselle Miss

Hugo treats us to another of his trreatments of the times as he discusses “Argot” or street language

I was taken by his definitions of Love
• “the cradle but also the coffin” p894
• “A complement is like a kiss through a veil” p 897

Also the meeting between Marius and his Grandfather was very well narrated and an example of what you mean to say and what you say being entirely different - on such conversations lives change for better or worse

Hugo is an excellent narrator and his plot line merge and divide constantly. I fins myself wanting to know what is happening to one set of characters but having to deal with others in between. His characters are full of life really leap off the page

[Sophie, The other one]

Oops seem to have missed comments on this for a while! Well done everyone for carrying on with it regardless of where you've got to in it.

I haven't taken as full notes as Marie (or any notes at all in fact) so will be commenting from memory!

I'd agree that his strength is the plot line and the weaving of different perspectives, motivations and histories. Each character is so distinct and you can almost predict how they'll react to events because they are so clearly written. While there are a lot of them I didn't find them merging into one like some books I read.

[Judy]

I've made it through the Battle of Waterloo! 💪 I actually didn't mind it much - I quite enjoyed listening to it (though I think had I read it, I'd have skimmed a bit).

[Marie (UK)]

Sophie wrote: "Oops seem to have missed comments on this for a while! Well done everyone for carrying on with it regardless of where you've got to in it.

I haven't taken as full notes as Marie (or any notes at a..."

i have problems with memory Sophie i had to keep notes

[Judy]

While I wasn't that bored for Waterloo, this extensive description of the nunnery (and nunneries in general? and monasteries too?) was a snoozefest... more than ready to get back to our friend Jean Valjean!

[Keely]

Oh yes. I just powered through that part just wanting the story to get back to Jean Valjean and Cosette.

[Sammy]

Hugo certainly did like his tangents, lol.

[Judy]

Done with volume 2!!! The ending was really exciting - burying someone alive? And things going wrong (but right in the end after all)? Good stuff!

I really hope Jean Valjean and Cosette get a break now... after all that drama, they certainly deserve it!

[Judy]

Fun fact: I bought a used copy and I've now officially made it past the point my predecessor gave up on the book! 😂💪

[Sammy]

Judy wrote: "Fun fact: I bought a used copy and I've now officially made it past the point my predecessor gave up on the book! 😂💪"

Haha! That must make you feel accomplished, lol.

[Judy]

It sure does! A better feeling than having made it to the halfway point tbh 😂

[Eldarwen]

Wooohh!

That's awesome though haha! How do you know where your predecessor gave up?

[Karen ⊰✿, Fiction Aficionado]

Judy wrote: "Fun fact: I bought a used copy and I've now officially made it past the point my predecessor gave up on the book! 😂💪"

lol! That's fantastic

[Karen ⊰✿, Fiction Aficionado]

I'm done with Volume IV

Because I left it too long between reading chunks of this, I struggled a bit with this volume. We suddenly get all these new characters and I'm waiting to see the connections.! But by the end of this volume it all becomes apparent and now I feel like we are back into the 'real' story again.

[Judy]

Eldarwen wrote: "Wooohh!

That's awesome though haha! How do you know where your predecessor gave up?"

It's one of those books where the pages are darker after you've read them (from touching them? idk) & I can see a nice line between the dark & light pages 😅

[Eldarwen]

Judy wrote: "Eldarwen wrote: "Wooohh!

That's awesome though haha! How do you know where your predecessor gave up?"

It's one of those books where the pages are darker after you've read them (from touching them..."

Hahaha!

[Judy]

I'm done with volume 3!!! The last book was really exciting, definitely my favorite section of the whole book so far!

Gonna take a 3 week break now cause I don't want to take that brick with me on holiday & once I get back, it's time for volume 4.